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RE: Sample document creation for contract position
Subject:RE: Sample document creation for contract position From:kathleen -at- writefortheuser -dot- com To:"Melissa Lowery-Smith" <artsyreader -at- yahoo -dot- com> Date:Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:47:45 -0700
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Sample document creation for contract position
> From: Melissa Lowery-Smith <artsyreader -at- yahoo -dot- com>
I was recently asked to create a 10-15 page document (they referred to
it as a technical test) based on a brief interview with an SME as part
of the interview process for a 3-6 month technical writer contract.
I think this was entirely inappropriate. It would have been appropriate
to have been asked to write a basic summary of the points after the
interview, which is what one company did. That was actually fun, and in
many ways, probably a better way to judge a fit between the person and
the types of writing they will be expected to do.
> I pulled my name out of consideration for the role, but I am wondering how other writers would have
> responded to this situation.
>
There's no easy answer to this one, because it depends on how much you
need a job. I'd probably do the same, but kick myself for it. Writing
the list for some feedback is probably better :-) I'm looking too, and
I've seen some odd behavior recently on the part of potential employers.
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